Nut-branding machine



T. S. SLIGH.

NUT BRANDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-2.1919.

1,370,85 1 Patented Mar. 8, 1921,

, 2 SHEETS$HEET I.

T. S. SLIGH.

NUT BRANDING MACHINE- APPLICATION FILED AUG-2I 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES 0 0% Y'om Jib/7057i? J71 h' JTTORNEVS INVENTOR ,larly to amachine for brandin ing to shift UNITED STATES PATENTLCOFFICE.

won STANDII'ER amen, or wesnmeron, msrmcrr or oommni.

NUT-BRANDING- necnmn. 7

To all whom it may ooncem:

Be it known that I, TOM STANDIFER' SLIGH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Washington, in the Distrlct of Columbia, havemade certain new and useful Improvements in N lit-Branding Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification. 1

My present invention relates generally to nut branding machines and moreparticu- ,stamping or marking walnuts and other small articles, the mainobject of my invention being the provision of a device which will placea distinguishing mark upon articles of the above nature, cheaply,rapidly, and efficiently.

A further object is the provision of a device for the abovepurpose,wherein the motive power required for its actuation is derived eitherwholly or in part from the article to be stamped and in particular fromthe impact of the article after it has fallen under the influence ofgravity through a predetermined distance.

A still further object is the provision of a device, which because ofits gravity actuation 'by the article to be stamped, will stamp thearticles as rapidly as the physical constants of the construction willpermit, as well asone which will be actuated only when an article is inposition to be stamped, avoiding idle 'strokes, as well as the necessityof synchronism between the feeding means and the stamping device, andpermitting the articles to be fed intermittently or at irregular timeintervals.

A still further object is the provision of a device in whichover-feeding of the articles to be stamped can only result in amisbranding of the articles so over-fed and can not harm the mechanismor affect its subsequent proper operation.

Astill further object is to provide a de vice including a ratchetmechanism operata.fresh branding or marking member into working positionafter each branding or marking operation and wherein the used brandingor marking members arebrought into contact with an inking pad fore theyare again used.

A still further object is the provision of a device including aresilient stamp, stamp backing, and stamp supporting member, whereby thearticle operated upon may be stamped, or marked clearly and legible,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. Augult 2, 1819. Serial No. 314,828.

ous discharge of ink feeding arrangement with a in Iproper relationthereto.

,- Patented A still further object is the provision of,

a fountain inking pad and means of which the marking members arere-inked byand process of stamping manner as to guard reservoir, by orbranding during the an article and in such against the promiscuupon thearticle being operated on.

With these various objects, relating as they do to the operation andfunction of my improved'invention, other and further advantages relatingmore particunlarly to the details of construction of the mechanismproposed by my invention will appear in the course of the followingdescription, referring to the accompanying drawings which form a part ofthls specification and in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a feedingarrangement.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the branding unit pro-posed ig.3 is a top plan view of one of the branding or marking units.

ig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section partially therethrough taken online 44 of Fig. 3 with the marking member in its up inactive position.

Fig. 5 is a similar. view showing the marking member lowered in use, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section taken substantially on line 6-6 ofFig. 3.

eferring now to these figures, and particularly to Figs. 3 to 6inclusive, my invention proposes a,branding or marking mechanism in aunit mounted upon a horizontal flat base 10, which thus adafipts theunit to ready connection upon any at surface and lends itself to easyeffective duplication by simply utilizing a number of units in uxtaposedrelation.

I t one end of base 10 is an upstanding arm 11, as seen in Fig. 2, whoseupper an- Mar. 8, 1921.

bined pawl carrier and parallelto the sides of the U-shaped ree frame14, which is supported by their ends, so that'in use the springs may beread.- ily detached by simply removing the fastening members 15 and bentto provide for a greater force in their lifting action.

The free ends of'the side members of the- U-frame 14 extend forwardlybeyond the free forward ends of the springs 13 and terminate in threadedbearings 16 transversely ,alined and into which screw socket studs 17adjustably held by lock. nuts 18 threaded thereon and en agmg the outerfaces of the bearings 16. e inner opposed ends of these socket studs 17have conical recesses which receive the conical ends of the threadedtransverse shaft 19 on which are disposed the circular side lates 20 ofthe die wheel or stamp held by ock nuts 20 The outer ends of the socketstuds 17 pro- {eIact outwardly beyond the bearings 16 of the -frame 14and are suitably disposed in vertical guide slots 21 of a air of uprightbrackets 22 whose lower on s are secured-to the sides of the base 10'.

Against one of the side plates 20 of the die wheel or stamp member isdisposed a polygonal side nut 23 which acts as a ratchet wheel and the'side faces of which are notched for engagement by the upper shoulderedhead 24 of a pawl or dog 25 the lowerend of which is pivoted to thecomand guard 26.. A spring 27 between the guard 26 and the pawl 25serves to throw the latter away from the pawl carrier and toward theratchet wheel 7 23, opposite to' which the head 24 is disposed whenthe'die wheel is in the upper inactive position as shown in Fig. 4,in'which it is normally retained through the effect of the su portlngsprings 13. p 1

he up er end ofthe g\1ard and pawl carrier 26 as an angular extension 28above the ratchet wheel 23 terminatin in a depending lip 29, the innerfaces 0 the anguar extenslon 28 and its lip 29 conforming in theirangular relation to the angular relaetion between the faces of theratchet wheel engaged thereby in the upper osihus,

inactive tion of the die, as seen in Fig. 4.

with the pawl head 24 at one side of the ratchet wheel and the innerfaces of the extension and lip of the guard in engagement with at leasttwo other faces of the ratchet wheel, the latter and consequently theshaft 19 of the die are prevented from rotation.

The guard 26 is supported by virtue of its connection to the upper, endof-a vertical flat spring 30 whose lower end is connected to one. end ofan adusting lever 31 fulcrumed at 32 upon a bracket 33 secured to thebase 10, the opposite end of which lever 31 carries a vertlcal adjustingscrew 35. The lower end of this adjusting screw bears upon the bracket33 so that adjustment thereof will serve to shift the lever 31 on itsfulcrum 32 and swing guard 26 to bring the head "of awl .25 moretightlyinto engagement wit the ratchet wheel23, although it will beunderstoodthat the guard 26 is yieldable at all times b virtue of its supportingspring 30, to avoid undue friction.

The die consists of a substantially circular body 36 of soft material,such as sponge rub ber, held between the side plates 20, and forinstance by inwardly upset lugs 37 of these side plates, and this softbody of the die is provided with radially projecting stamp seats 38which extend beyond the peripheral edges of the side plates 20 and WhlChreceive the article engaging branding elements '39. It will beunderstood that the number of 'ered by the impact of an article. to bebranded,its upper branding element is in position for actuation, whilethe lowermost randing element will come into engagement with the pad 40and be inked thereby. This pad. 40 is preferably ofa textile or othermaterial, having qualities and is disposedupon the upper surface of theink receptacle 41 through slotted openings in the top of which theextensions 42 of thepad depend into the ink, This ink receptacle ismounted upon one end of a plate 43, secured upon the base 10 and theopposite end of which supportsan ink receptacle 44' constituting areservoir'and connected to the pad receptacle 41 by a feed P e ihus whenan article to be branded falls on the upturned branding element, as forina stance a walnut A as seen in Fig.. 5, its weight and momentum willforce the die wheel downwardly against the tension of its supportingsprings 13 and will thus force the lowermost brandin element intoengagement with the re-in ing pad 40-. During this movement from thenormal positionshown in Fig. 4, the ratchet wheel 23 will'be loweredfrom the guard 26 and to a position beneath the upper head 24'of thepawl or do -25 so-that upon the rebound or. upward stroke of the diewheel which takes place the instant theinertia of the fall of thearticle is overcome, the lower shoulder of the pawl these brandingmembers or elements 39, and i the necessary absorbent i head 24 willengage a notch of the ratchet wheel 23 as seen in 13g. 5, after thestamp has shifted clear of the pad and thus upon further upward movementof the die wheel to normal position, the

charge end so as economical as to both its cost an ratchet wheel 23 willbe turned to bring a succeeding face thereof alongside the awl head 24and will thus rotate the die wheel to bring-a succeeding element 39 inthe uppermost osition.

In t is way the operation is brought about wholly by parts in properlyadjusted relation, neither manual nor automatic adjustment or attentionis required during the operation as each operation depends entirely uponthe action of the article tobe operated upon.

Various means may be utilized for the the articles so that they willfall upon the die wheel. The means proposed and shown in Figs. 1 and 2consists of the feed belt 50 on which walnuts or other articles are fedand permitted to fall from the discharge end of the belt, which latterasses around a roller 51. The nuts are disc arged into a feed chute 52in which they are held by a flexible curtain 53 suspended alongside thechute and beyond the discharge end of the belt 50. The nuts will thenfall directly upon the die wheel positioned at the lower.

end of the chute 52 from which the .nuts are free tome-bound into the"discharge chute 54. l

It is obvious from'the fore oing that as the operating means forbranding the articles is formed in units, the mechanism is capable ofpractically endless expansion for purposes of increased production-bysimply mounting the units in an desired number in juxtaposed relation.-or this purpose one or more feed belts 50 may be utilized, which aredividedby lengthwise partitions 55 as seen in Fig. '1, adjacent to thedisto form channels to aline' with the upper ends of a plurality of feedchutes 52.

My invention as thus fully described and shown is obviously capable ofcarrying out the various advantages as above mentioned, will be speedyand efiicient in o eration,

(i upkeep and is readily susceptible of use on both small and largescales.

I claim l. A stamping mechanism, including a 7 base having uprightvertically slotted guides,

an elevated support at one end, springs secured at one end to saidsupport, a movable frame to which the o poslte ends of said springs areconnected aving laterally projecting members extending into the slots ofthe said guides, a stamping wheel rotatable in the said frame having aperipheral series virtue of gravity and with the ported by the base andpurpose of bringing about the feeding of elements,a ratchet mechanismratchet wheel carried by the said wheel and a pawl supported by ofstamping including a stem ing the wheel 2. A stamping mechanism,comprising a base having upright guides, a stamping wheel bodilshiftable in the said guides, a stamping w eel frame, a spring havingcon-- nection with the stamping wheel frame and forming the soleconnection between said frame and the base, said spring also serving totension bodily shifting movement of the frame and wheel said stampingwheel being rotatable and having an annular series of peripheralstamping elements, a ratchet wheel at oneside and a pawl supextendingadjacent to the clamping wheel the said ratchet wheel when t e stampingwheel is bodily shifted whereby to rotate the wheel.

- 3. The combination of 'a rotatable and bodil shiftable stamping wheel,having an annu ar series of peripheral stamping elements, a polygonalratchet wheel carried by the stamping wheel and having notches in thefaces thereof, a pawl having a shoul-- dered head, with respect to'whichthe stamping wheel and its ratchet wheel are movable, engageable withthe notches of the ratchet wheel, a base with which the stamping for enagement byase for engagement by said ratchet wheel has a springconnection, a pawl carrying guard supported by the base and with whichthe pawl has a sprlng connection, said guard having anextension'pa'rtially embracing the ratchet I wheel in the normalposition of the stamping wheel to prevent acci- 1 co-acting with thebodily shiftable stamping wheel, a base in 10h the pawl isconnection-with which the said wheel has a a spring support, a ratchetwheel carried b 1 the stamping wheel, a pawl co-actin wit the. ratchetwheel upon bodily s ifting movement of the stamping wheel to rotate thelatter, and a member supported on the base in connection with which thepawl is mounted, having means co-acting with the ratchet wheel toprevent accidental rotation of the stamping wheel in the normal positionof the latter, said last named member having an adjustable connectionwith the base as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination of a rotatable and bodily shiftable stamping wheel, abase in connection with which the said wheel has a spring support, aratchet wheel carried b the stamping wheel, a pawl co-acting with theratchet wheel upon bodily shifting movement of the stamping wheel torotate the latter, and a member supported on'the base in connection withwhich the pawl 'ismounted, having means co-acting with the which thesaid plates are adjustabl'y' held ratchet wheel to prevent accidentalrotation of the stamping wheel in the normal position of the latter andan adjusting member on the base with which the said pawl carrier memberhas a yieldable connection.

7 7; In a stamping device, a stamping wheel having a soft compressiblebody provided with integral radially extending stamping seats. aroundtheperiphery thereof independent of one another and stamping elementssecured upon the said seats to yield laterally and circumferentiallywith the seats.

8 In a stamping device, a stamping wheel, comprisinga soft compressiblebody,

having radially extending peripheral seats projecting beyond the body,side plates at opposite sides of the body and beyond which the saidseats extend, an axial shaft on ing wheel rotatab having'a peripheralseries of stam mg eleand an inking and flexible stamping elementssecured on the said seats and yieldable with the seats, as described.

v 9. A stamping mechanism including a base, an elevated support at oneend of the base, springs secured at one end to said support, a movableframe to which the opposite ends of said sprin s are connected, a stampiin the said frame and stamping wheel being rotatable and having anannular series of peripheral stamping members, a ratchet mechanism forrotating the wheel durin shifting movement thereof device supported bthe base and including a pad arranged below the stamping wheel and intoand out of engagement with which the stamping wheel is movv able.

TOM STAN DI-FER SLIGH.

